Chair assembly



Dec. 30, 12969 c. .1. IBARECKIr ET AL CHAIR ASSEMBLY Filed April 19, 1968 1 5 Shees--SheerI 1 FIG. l

, INVENTRS Cheste-r J. Barecki lRobert L. Knapp BY @www Jif'mu, aonn,

- ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 41, BARECKl AL CHAIR ASSEMBLY Filed April 19, 196s 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTORS Chester J. -Bclre-ekiy m m Mm P.,A p m KJ, L: n www R. .w

Dec. 30, A1969 C, J, BARECKl ET Al. 3,486,790

l CHAIR ASSEMBLY V I `62 Y INVENTORS f SBGGQl "\35 Chester J, Bareck 43 gia Rober? L. Knopp v BY @ww/u, JAlavU, rfa/ZONA ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 .c. J.- BAREclK| ET A1. 3,486,790

. @HAIR ASSEMBLY Filed April 19, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet L FIG. /l 78 3| Chester d. Borecki Rqben` L. Knopp Byeumzmv, @Ln-ny, fam

ma @www ATTORNEYS INVENTORS A De.3o,1969 alam-:cm ETAL 3,486,790

CHAIR ASSEMBLY Filed April 19, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS Chester J. Boreck Robert L. Knapp |4| BY @au/nom aldil/1v affo'rv and? ATTORNEYS U.S. Cl. 297-142 United States Patent O ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A chair assembly particularly adapted for use in conjunction with an elongated, counter-like table. The chairs are supported above the iloor by arms which extend generally horizontally from the table-supporting pedestal. One end of each chair-supporting arm is rotatably mounted on the pedestal by means of a generally vertically extending sleeve on the end of the arm which is roytatably secured in an arm-supporting bracket by means of a pin. A coil spring interposed between the pin and sleeve biases the supporting arm against rotation away from the table, and radially outwardly extendingstuds lon the sleeve engageable with the pedestal limit the rotational movement of the arm. A chair is rotatably supported ,by the other end of the arm by a cylindrical post which extends downwardly from'the seat and is journaled in a sleeve on the other arm end. A coil spring is interposed between the post and the sleeve, and cam members within the sleeve engage the ends of the spring as the chair'rotates so that the spring resiliently biases the seat against rotation in either direction.

BACKGROUND This invention relates to a chair assembly, and more particularly, to a chair assembly particularly adapted for use with the elongated, counter-like tables commonly seen in school lecture halls.

In the design of school seating several important factors must be` kept in mind. One of the most important utilizing deskand chair combinationswhich are fixed to the floor. The desk may then be provided by an elongated counter-like table, and the chairs are positioned at spaced intervals along the length of the table. However, if the chairs are xed to the floor, the maintenance problems of cleaning and waxing the oor is increased. Not only do the supporting means for the seat interfere with sweeping, mopping, etc., but eachv fixture on the oor presents additional collecting places for dust, dirt, and the like. Further, anchoring the chair in a xed position with repsect to the table may interfere with the students ability to get into and out of the seat and to walk between the chairs of one row and the desks of the next row. Anchoringthe chair also eliminates any adjustability of the seat. Taller students should be positioned farther away from the table than shorter students formaximum comfort and attentiveness, and some adjustability in the chair is desired for this reason.

Rotatable chairs have been provided in the past, but the mechanism for returning the chair to itsoriginal posi- 3,486,790 Patented Dec. 30, 1969 ice tion is frequently complicated and difficult to repair or replace. It will be appreciated that school seating is subject to a certain amount of abuse, and even in normal use a chair may in time be broken or the return mechanism may become defective. It is, therefore, desirable that parts of the chair assembly be both durable and capable of easy replacement.

SUMMARY The chairs of the inventive assembly are supported by the table-supporting pedestals rather than by the floor, thereby facilitating maintenance of the door. Each chair is supported by an arm which is rotatably mounted to the pedestal so that the seat may swing away from the table to permit easy access to the seat. The rotatable arm is resiliently biased toward the table so that the arm returns to its original position after the student is seated or leaves the chair. Each chair is rotatably supported by an arm, and the chair may be rotated in either direction to permit the student to get into and out of the chair or to observe the teacher when instructing on either side of the room. The chair is resiliently biased. to return to its original position regardless of the direction in which it is rotated. The return mechanisms for the arm and the chair are durable yet easily replaceable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a Ifront perspective view of a chair and `table assembly utilizing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the assembly of FIG. l;

. FIG. 3 is a top fragmentary view of the assembly illustrating the various positions of the chairs;

FIG. 4 is a front View of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 3 showing alternate positions ofone of the chairs 0f FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the tilting action of the chair;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5 and continuing through the chairsupportng arm; v

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8 8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 9 9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 10`10 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 11 is an exploded lperspectivegv'iew of the chair illustrating one embodiment of the chair base;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 illustrating another embodiment of the chair base;

FIG. 13 an enlarged perspective view of the arm-supporting bracket;

FIG. 14 is an exploded'perspective-view of the chairsupporting arm, the arm return means, and the chair return means;

FIG. 15 is a rear exploded perspective view of the pedestal and the chair-supporting arms;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of one of the chair supporting arms of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 15 illustrating ,a different embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 13 showing the armsupporting bracket of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing the embodiment of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the supporting arms of FIG. 17.

3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 20 designates generally a chair and table assembly which includes an elongated counter-like table 21 supported by generally upwardly extending pedestals 22 which are adapted to be attached to the floor of a school room or lecture hall by base plate 23 having screw openings 24. While the chair and table assembly 20 will be described for use in a school room, it is to be understood that the assembly may be used for other purposes, such as a lunch counter or the like.

Each pedestal 22 supports a pair of chairs 25 on either side thereof, and the pedestals are spaced along the table 21 to provide approximately equal spacing between each of the chairs 25. The table 21 rnay be straight or curved. The particular table 21 illustrated is straight and is supported by two pedestals 22, providing seating for four students. However, a longer table may be provide, or several tables may be positioned end-to-end to provide additional seating. The tables 21 are generally arranged in rows, one behind the other, and if desired, the floor of the room may be inclined or stepped rearwardly to position each chair assembly slightly above the assembly immediately before it to provide the students with unobscured vision.

Each chair 25 includes a back portion 26 and a seat portion 27, and the seat portion is supported by an arm 28 which extends generally horizontally from the pedestal 22. The chair-supporting arms 28 include an elongated central portion 29 which is generally rectangular in transverse cross section, the end of the arm adjacent the pedestal terminates in a vertically extending tubular armsupporting sleeve 30, and the end of the arm-supporting the chair 25 terminates in a generally vertically extending chair-supporting tubular sleeve 31.

Each arm-supporting sleeve 30 is rotatably mounted on a pedestal 22, and each chair 25 is journaled in a chairsupporting sleeve 31. Each pedestal supports a right chairsupporting arm 28a and a left chair-supporting arm 28b (with reference to students sitting in the chairs).

FIG. 3 illustrates the various positions into which the chair may be moved. The right chair-supporting arm 28a is rotated in its pedestal mounting counterclockwise or away from the table 21 to move its supported chair rearwardly, or away from the table. In this position the back 26 of the chair is positioned substantially rearwardly of the table 21 to permit easy entrance to, and egress from, the chair. The forward position of the arm 28a is illustrated in phantom at 28a', and when theI arm is in this position, the back 26 of the chair is positioned relatively close to the table 21 when it is unoccupied; when occupied, the occupant moves the chair to a desired position somewhere between positions 26 and 26 where he may write or read while maintaining correct posture. Similarly, the left arm 28b which supports the left chair is shown in its rearward position in FIG. 3, and the forward position of the arm is illustrated in phantom at 28b. The chair supported by the arm 28b is also shown to be rotated counterclockwise in its supporting sleeve 31 to permit the student to sit down or stand up with increased facility and to permit the student to comfortably view any instruction being given at the side of the room. The forward position of the chair supported by the arm 28b is illustrated in phantom at 25.

The forward and rearward positions 26' and 26, respectively, of the back of the chair supported by the right arm 28a are also illustrated in FIG. 5. The seat supported by the left arm 28b is omitted from FIG. 5 for clarity. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the chair may be provided with a tiltable seat support to allow the chair to tilt backwardly.

4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PEDESTAL AND ARM-SUPPORTING MEANS Referring to FIG. 15, the pedestal 22 includes a generally vertically extending lower portion 32 and an upper portion 33 extending forwardly and upwardly from the lower portion 32. Bracket 34 is carried by the top of the angled upper portion 33 and is adapted to support the table 21. The bracket 34 may be suitably secured to the table by means of screws or the like. The lower and upper portions 32 and 33 are generally channel-shaped or rectangular in transverse cross section, and the rearward face 32a of the lower portion is cut away adjacent the juncture between the upper and lower portions 32 and 33 to receive arm-supporting bracket 35 between the spaced-apart side faces 32b and 32e (FIG. l0).

Referring to FIG. 13, the arm-supporting bracket 35 is seen to include vertically spaced upper and lower flanges 36 and 37, respectively, which are joined by connecting portion 38. The flanges 36 and 37 extend generally transversely of the pedestal 22, and the upper flange 36 is provided with openings 39a and 39b therethrough adjacent the right and left ends, respectively, of the flange. Similarly, flange 37 is provided with openings 40a and 40b which are vertically aligned with the openings in the upper flange. The connecting portion 38 includes forwardly extending ears 41 adjacent the ends thereof, and the ears 41 are provided with bores 42. Referring to FIG. l0, the bracket 35 is received between the side faces 32b and 32C of the lower portion 32 of the pedestal and secured therebetween by rivets or bolts 43 which pass through the pedestal sides and the bores 42.

The means for rotatably supporting the arms 28 will now be described. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 14, the hollow tubular sleeve 30 of each of the arms 28 slidably receives a generally cylindrical, spirally Wound coil spring 44 having an upper end 45 bent to extend generally radially inwardly and a lower end 46 bent to extend generally radially outwardly. A cylindrical nylon bushing 47 about the same length as the spring 44 is slidably received by the spring, and a pair of upper and lower bearings 48 and 49, respectively, are positioned above and below the spring. The upper bearing 48 includes a cylindrical plug portion 50 which has approximately the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of the sleeve 30 and a radially extending shoulder portion 51 which has an outside diameter approximately the same as the outside diameter of the sleeve 30. Similarly, the lower bearing 49 includes -a plug portion 52 and a shoulder portion 53, and when the bearings 48 and 49 are positioned within the sleeve 30 the spring is restrained against vertical movement. Each of the bearings 48 and 49 are provided with a central opening, and after the sleeve 30 is positioned between the upper and lower flanges 36 and 37 of the bracket 35 in general vertical alignment with a pair of openings therein, an elongated cylindrical rod 54 is inserted through the upper flange 36, the upper bearing 48, the bushing 47, the lower bearing 49, and the lower flange 37. The rod 54 is sized to be received rotatably but somewhat snugly by the bearings 48 and 49 and the bushing 47 so that the arm 38 is supported securely in cantilever fashion by the bracket 35. The rod 54 includes a longitudinally extending slot or key way 55 along substantially the entire length thereof. Rod 54 may be rotated to tension spring 44 as needed and then set screw 56 is extended against rod 54 to lock it in place. This provides the retention in both the rotational and vertical direction.

Referring to FIG. 7, the lower end of the sleeve 30 is seen to be provided with a vertically extending slot 57. When the spring 44 is inserted within the sleeve, it is positioned so that the outwardly extending lower end 46 is received by the slot 57, and when the rod 54 is inserted, it is positioned so that the inwardly extending upper spring end 45 is received by the slot 55. The upper end of the spring is thus held stationary by the rod 54,

and the lower end of the spring is connected to the sleeve 30 for rotation therewith.

The direction of the spiral turns of each coil spring 44 is such that when the arm 28 is swung rearwardly or away from the table 21, the turns of the spring are tightened, and the spring exerts a force tending to return the arm toward the table. If desired, instead of using two springs, a single spring may be used and when used on the other arm may be turned upside down. Referring to FIG. 10, the arm 28a is shown being maintained in its forward position under the urging of its associated spring, `while the arm 28b is being held in a rearward position against the force exerted by its spring tending to pull the arm forward. Since the arms 28a'. and 28b rotate away from the table in diierent directions, the spiral turns of the respective springs will also be wound in different directions. A radially outwardly extending stud 58 is provided on each sleeve 30 which engages one of the generally flat side faces of the pedestal 22 under the urging of the spring and acts as a forward stop for the arm 28, preventing further rotation toward the table. In FIG. 10, the forward stop for the arm 28a is designated 58a while the forward stop for the arm 28b is designated 58b.

It will be understood that instead of using two springs, a single spring may be used, the spring being turned upside down for use on the other arm. In this way we can get the desired reversal of tension while using only one spring.

If the student desires to sit down or stand up or if the oor beneath the chair is being cleaned, the chair-supporting arm 28 may be rotated rearwardly or away from the table against the urging of the spring 44. Since the chair need be moved rearwardly only enough to permit easy access to the chair and since excessive rearward movement of the chair may cause it to contact the table positioned behind it, it is desirable to limit the rearward rotation of the arms 28. For this purpose, the right and left arms 28a land 28b are provided with studs 59a and 59b respectively, which are generally rectangular in cross section and which act as rearward stops. As can -be seen in FIGS. and 13, the connecting portion 38 of the bracket 3S is provided with a vertically extending generally V-shaped slot 60 having a pair of inclined sides 61 yand 62. Each of the inclined sides extends generally radially with respect to one of the sleeves 30 supported by the bracket so that substantially planar bearing engagement betwen the connecting portion 318 and the rearward stops 59 is possible. Referring to FIGS. 14 and 16, the forward and rearward stops 58a and 59a of the right arm 28a are positioned on the upper portion of the sleeve 30 while the forward and rearward stops 58h and 59b of the left arm 28b are positioned on the lower portion of the sleeve of that arm. Thus, the sleeves 30 of right and left arms 28a and 28b may be positioned relatively close together without interference from the rearward stops 59a and 59h.

If it is desired to provide a greater force for returning the arms to the forward position, the tension on the spring 44 may be increased by withdrawing the set screw 56, rotating the rod 54 to tension the spring, and replacing the set screw.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CHAIR SUPPORTING MEANS Referring to FIGS. 7 and 14, each of the chair-supporting arms 28 carries a vertically extending generally cylindrical tubular sleeve 31 on the end opposite the sleeve 30. A generally cylindrical spirally wound coil spring 63 having an upwardly bent upper end 64 and a downwardly bent lower end 65 is slidably received by the sleeve 31, and a tubular nylon bushing 66 of about the same length of the spring 63 is received by the spring. Disks or washers 67 and 68 are positioned above the spring 63, and disks or washers 69 and 70 are positioned below the spring. Upper and lower bearings 71 and 72,

respectively, are received by the upper and lower ends of the sleeve 31. The bearing 71 includes a plug portion 73 which is received by the sleeve and an outwardly extending shoulder portion 74 which extends over the upper end of the sleeve. Similarly, the bearing 72 includes a plug portion 75 and a shoulder portion 76. The bearings are sized to prevent vertical movement of the spring and washers within the sleeve 31, and each bearing is provided with a central bore therethrough.

Referring to FIG. 11 a seat-supporting base 77 is secured underneath the seat portion 27 of the chair and supports and reinforces the seat portion over a substantial area thereof. The base 77 includes a generally cylindrical downwardly extending post 78. Referring to FIG. 7, the post 78 is inserted through the bearing 71, disks 67 and 68, bushing 66, lower disks 469 and 70, and lower bearing 72, and the diameter of the post is sized so that the post is received rotatably but. rather snugly by these parts. If desired, a washer 79 may be interposed between the upper bearing 71 and the base 77, and a Washer 80 may be inserted over the lower end of the post below the lower bearing 72. A pin 81 is inserted through the washer 80 and the lower end of the post 78 to retain the post within the sleeve 31 and to prevent the post from being withdrawn vertically from the sleeve. The pin 81 is inserted through the post 78 at a point which will maintain the washers 79 and 80 adjacent the bearings 71 and 72, respectively, to substantially eliminate vertical play between the various parts, and the spring 63 is prevented from rattling against the post by the bushing 66.

Each of the disks 67-70 are generally annularly shaped, having an outside diameter approximately equal to the inside diameter of the sleeve 31 and an inside diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the post. The disks 67 and 69 include radially inwardly extending keys 82 and 83, respectively, which are received by a longitudinally extending slot or key way 84 provided in the post 78, and the disks 67 and 69 are thereby connected to the post 78 for rotational movement therewith.

Each of the disks 68 and 70 include a radially outwardly extending key 85 and 86, respectively, and the key 85 is received by a vertically extending slot 87 provided in the sleeve 31 at the upper end thereof (FIG. 7) while the key 86 is received in a slot 88 at the lower end of the sleeve. The disks 68 and 70 are thereby connected to the sleeve 31 and secured against rotation with post 78.

The disk 67 is provided with a circumferentially extending recess 89 in its outer periphery (FIGS. 8 and 14) which terminates in generally radially extending shoulders 90 and 91. Similarly, the disk 70 positioned below the wardly extending spring end 64 when the spring is in a neutral or untensioned position (FIG. 8), and the recess 92 in the lower disk 70 is positioned so that the shoulder 93 is adjacent the downwardly extending lower spring end 65 when the spring is in the neutral position. When the chair supported by the sleeve 31 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, or to the students left, the Upper disk 67 rotates with the post 78 and the shoulder 90 acts as a camming surface to force the spring end 64 to rotate. The lower disk 70, however, is connected to the sleeve 31Y and remains stationary, the shoulder 93 acting as a camming surface to maintain the lower spring end 65 stationary. The upper portion of the spring is thereby rotated with respect to the lower portion to tighten the coils of the spring, and the chair is resiliently biased by the spring to return to its original position.

The upper disk 68 also includes a recess 95 having shoulders 96 and 97, and the disk 69 below the spring is provided with recess 98 with shoulder 99 and 100. When the spring is in the neutral position, the shoulder 96 of the upper disk 68 is positioned adjacent the upper spring end 64, and the shoulder 99 of the lower disk 69 is positioned adjacent the lower spring end 65. When the seat is rotated in the clockwise direction, the lower disk 69 rotates with the post 78 and the shoulder 99 acts as a camming surface to force the lower end of the spring to rotate. The upper disk 68 is maintained stationary and the shoulder 96 prevents rotation of the upper spring end 64. The coils of the spring therefore tighten, and the spring resiliently biases the seat to return to its original position.

When the chair is being rotated counterclockwise and the upper spring end 64 is being pushed by shoulder 90 of the upper disk 67, the spring end 64 moved within the recess of the other upper disk 68 and will not be restrained by the disk 68 until it contacts the shoulder 97, and the camming shoulder 97 of the disk 68 acts as a stop against further counterclockwise rotation. The shoulder 100 of the lower disk 69 may also act as a stop, since rotation of the disk 69 will eventually `bring this shoulder into contact with the stationary spring end 65.

Similarly, when the seat is being rotated clockwise and the lower spring end 65 is being pushed by the camming shoulder 99 of the lower disk 69, the lower spring end 65 moves within the recess 92 of the other lower disk 70 and is not restrained by the disk 70. The seat may continue to rotate in the clockwise direction until the lower spring end 65 engages the shoulder 94 of the lower disk 70. The shoulder 91 of disk 67 may also serve as the stop since continued rotation of the disk 67 Will cause this shoulder to engage the stationary lupper spring end 64. In the particular embodiment illustrated the arcs of the recesses of the disks 67-70 are approximately 90, and the seat may be rotated approximately 90 in either direction from its neutral or rest position in which the seat portion 27 of the seat extends toward the table 21 as in FIG. l. Greater or less rotation can `be obtained by changing the length of the recesses.

Regardless of whether the seat is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, the ends of the coil spring 63 will be rotated with respect to each other so as to tighten the coils of the spring. If one end of the spring were merely connected to the post 78 and the other end of the spring merely connected to the sleeve 31, the coils of the spring would be tightened only when the seat wasrotated in one direction. Rotation of the chair in the other direction would tend to unwind the coils, thereby possibly damaging the spring.

The particular chair-supporting base 77 illustrated in FIG. l1 includes a pivot rod 101 which permits the tilting action of the chair illustrated in FIG. 6. Such a tilting mechanism is well known in the art and it is believed unnecessary to describe the structure thereof. The chairsupporting base 77 illustrated in FIG. 12 includes a downwardly extending post 78 similar to the post 78 of FIG. 11, but does not provide for the tilting action of the chair.

Both the spring return means for the chair-supporting arms 28 and the spring return means for the chairs may easily be assembled in their respective sleeves 30 and 31. The parts are operatively connected merely by sliding them vertically with respect to each other, and no other connection is required. If the the chair or one of the parts within the sleeves becomes damaged, the defective part may readily be replaced.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the angled upper portions 33 of the pedestals support the table 21 somewhat forwardly of the lower portions 22. This permits the chairsupporting arms 28 to extend angularly forwardly somewhat from a vertical plane through the sleeves 30 when they are in their forward positions. When the arms are rotated rearwardly, the chair-supporting sleeves 31 follow an arc passing through this plane, and maximum rearward movement of the chairs is obtained for the length of the arc traveled from the forward position to the rearward position.

A student sitting in a chair may easily adjust the distance between the chair back 26 and the desk 21 for his particular height merely by pushing his legs against the oor. When the student leaves the chair, the chair automatically swings forward, and he may easily Walk between the backs of the chairs of one row and the front of the table of the next row.

The forward and rearward swingability of the chair also facilitates cleaning of the classroom. When the oor underneath the table is to be swept, mopped, or waxed, the janitor merely pushes the chair rearwardly.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 17-20. Generally upwardly extending pedestal 122 includes a generally vertically extending lower portion 132 and an upper portion 133 extending forwardly and upwardly from the lower portion. A generally rectangular base plate 123 is secured to the pedestal and provided with screw openings 124, and a pair of table-supporting brackets 134a and 134b are secured to the upper end of the pedestal. Each of the brackets are generally L-shaped in vertical cross-section and includes a generally horizontally extending flange 134C, each of which are provided with four screw openings 134d. By providing a pair of table-supporting brackets 134:1 and 13411, more screws may be used to secure the table to the pedestal and accessibility to the screw holes is greater.

Rightand left-hand chair-supporting arms 12 8a and 128b, respectively, similar to the arms 28a and 28b previously described also include generally vertically extending tubular arm-supporting sleeves 130 and chair-supporting tubular sleeves 131.

Arm-supporting bracket includes vertically spaced upper and lower flanges 136 and 137, respectively, which are joined by forward and rearward connecting portions 1385i and 138b, respectively. The flanges 136 and 137 are provided With openings 139a, 139b, 14011, and 140b, and the forward connecting portion 138a includes ears 141 which arse secured to the pedestal 122 by rivets or bolts 143 as hereinbefore described with respect to bracket 35 and pedestal 22.

The tubular sleeves 130` of the arms 128a and 128b also receive the spirally wound coil spring and bearings heretofore described in conjunction with the sleeves 30, and each arm 128a and 128b is rotatably mounted in the `bracket 135 by a rod 154, which may be seen in FIGS. 19 and 20. Each of the arms 128a and 128b include a single stop projection 158g and 158b, respectively, which are spaced vertically from each other.

The stop projections prevent excessive rearward rotation of the chair-supporting arms by engaging the forward connecting portion 138a of the bracket 135. Referring to FIG. 19, the connecting portion 138a is provided with a generally V-shaped slot 160 having a pair of inclined sides 161 and 162. The rearward connecting portion 138b similarly includes a generally V-shaped slot 163 having inclined sides 164 and 165 which engage the stop projection 158e and 15811, respectively, and limit the forward rotation of the chair-supporting arms.

As can be seen in FIG. 19, the rearward connecting portion 1381) of the bracket 135 extends to a position adjacent the sleeves 130 of each of the chair-supporting arms, and the stop projections 158a and 158b are entirely enclosed within the bracket 135, thereby eliminating the danger that the clothes or skin of the occupants of the chairs will be pinched. In FIG. 19, the right arm 128a is in the forward position with the projection 158:1 engaging the rearward connecting portion 138b and the left arm 128b is being maintained in the rearward position with its stop projection 15817 engaging the forward connecting portion. A

Each of the chair-supporting tubular sleeves 131 similarly receive a coil spring, disk, and bushings as hereinbefore described in conjunction with the sleeves 31. The sleeves 131 differ in including an arcuately shaped swivel stop 166 which extends upwardly from the rear of the sleeve and which is designed to limit the rotation of the chairs supported by the arms 128a 'and 128b. Seat-supporting base 167 (FIG. 17) includes a cover plate 168 which is adapted to be suitably secured to a chair, a generally cylindrically downwardly extending post 169 welded to the plate 168, and a swivel cup 170 which is secured to the cover plate. Each of the swivel cups 170 includes a pair of outwardly extending wing-like projections 171 which are adapted to engage the swivel stop 166 on the sleeve 131. Referring to FIG. 19, the seat-supporting base 167 carried by the arm 128a has been rotated to its maximum counterclockwise position and one of the Wing-like projections 171a is engaging the swivel stop 166. The chair may be rotated clockwise until the projection 171b engages the swivel stop. The degree of permissible rotation of the chairs may be changed as desired by varying the arcuate length of the swivel stop 166 or by changing the position of the wing-like projections 171. Referring to FIG. 20, washer 172 may be interposed between the swivel cup 170 and the sleeve 131 to facilitate rotation of the chair.

Each rod 169 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot or keyway similar to the slot I84 provided in the rod 78 to operatively connect the rod 169 with the disks and spring received within sleeve 131 in the manner heretofore described. Disks similar to those illustrated in FIG. l may be used, but the camming shoulders which act as rotational stops may be eliminated since the rotation of the chairs is limited by swivel stops 166.

While in the foregoing specication, we have set forth a detailed description of specific embodiments of our invention for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that many of the details hereingiven may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A chair assembly including:

a generally upwardly extending pedestal,

an elongated arm mounted on said pedestal and extending generally horizontally, said arm terminating in a generally vertically extending sleeve, said sleeve being provided with a central bore therethrough,

a chair rotatably supported on one end of said arm,

said chair including an elongated downwardly extending post rotatably received by said sleeve,

a generally cylindrical coil spring interposed between said post and said sleeve and having upper and lower spring ends,

a first pair of upper and lower cam members within said sleeve,

the upper cam member of said iirst pair being positioned above said spring and being operatively connected to said post for rotational movement therewith and the lower cam member of said first pair being positioned below said spring and being operatively connected to said sleeve,

the upper cam member of said rst pair being provided with a cam surface for engaging the upper end of said spring and the lower cam member of said iirst pair being provided with a cam surface for engaging the lower end of said spring when said chair is rotated in one direction whereby said spring resiliently biases said chair against rotation in said one direction,

a second pair of upper and lower cam members within said sleeve,

the upper cam member of said second pair being positioned above said spring and being operatively connected to said sleeve and the lower cam member of said second pair being positioned below said spring and being operatively connected to said post for rotational movement therewith,

the upper cam member of said rst pair being provided with a cam surface for engaging the upper end of said spring and the lower cam of said second pair being provided with a cam surface for engaging the lower end of said spring when said chair is rotated in the other direction whereby said spring resiliently biases said chair against rotation in said other direction.

2. The chair assembly of claim 1 in which said post is provided with a longitudinally extending slot, the upper cam member of the rst pair and the lower cam member of the second pair each comprising a generally annularly shaped disk provided with a radially inwardly extending key, said disks being received by said post and said keys being received by said post slot whereby said disks rotate with said post.

3. The chair assembly of claim 2 in which each of said disks are provided with a circumferentially extending recess in the outer periphery thereof, each recess terminating in a generally radially extending shoulder providing the cam surface for engaging one of the spring ends.

4. The chair assembly of claim 1 in which the upper cam member of the second pair and the lower cam member of the rst pair each comprise a generally annularly shaped disk provided with a radially outwardly extending key, said disks being received by said post, each of said keys being received by a slot provided in said sleeve for preventing rotation of said disk with respect to said sleeve.

5. The chair assembly of claim 4 in which each of said disks are provided with a circumferentially extending recess in the outer periphery thereof, each recess terminating in a generally radially extending shoulder providing the cam surface for engaging one of the spring ends.

6. The chair assembly of claim 1 in which said post is provided with a longitudinally extending slot and said sleeve is provided with an upper slot and a lower slot,

the upper cam member of said iirst pair and the lower cam member of said second pair each comprising a generally annularly shaped disk received by said post and provided with a radially inwardly extending key, said inwardly extending keys being received by said post slot whereby said disks rotate with said post,

the upper cam member of said second pair and the lower cam member of said rst pair each comprising a generally annularly shaped disk received by said post and provided with a radially outwardly extending key, the outwardly extending key of the second pair upper cam being received in the upper slot of said sleeve and the outwardly extending key of the iirst pair lower cam being received in the lower slot of said sleeve for preventing rotation of said second pair upper cam and rst pair lower cam with respect to said sleeve.

7. The chair assembly of claim 1 in which the other en-d of said arm terminates in a second generally vertically extending sleeve, said second sleeve being provided with a central bore therethrough, bracket means on said pedestal rotatably supporting said second sleeve, said bracket means including an elongated rod received by said second sleeve, said rod being provided with a longitudinally extending slot, a second generally cylindrical coil spring interposed between said second sleeve and said rod and having a pair of spring ends, one of the ends of said second spring extending generally radially inwardly into the slot of said rod, the other of the ends of said second spring being operatively connected to said second sleeve for rotation therewith whereby said second spring resiliently biases said arm against rotation.

8. A chair assembly including:

an elongated generally upwardly extending pedestal,

said pedestal including vertically spaced upper and lower flanges, each of said llanges being provided with [a pair of openings, each of the openings in the upper flange being generally lvertically aligned with an opening in the lower flange,

a pair of elongated generally horizontally extending chair-supporting arms, one end of each arm terminating in a generally vertically extending sleeve, the sleeve of each arm being positioned between said upper and lower ilanges,

an elongated rod received by each sleeve and extending through upper and lower vertically aligned openings in said flanges, each rod being provided with a longitudinally extending slot, said rod being secured against rotation with respect to said anges,

a generally cylindrical coil spring interposed between each rod and each sleeve and providing a pair of spring ends, one end of each spring extending radially inwardly into a rod slot, the other end of each spring being operatively connected to the sleeve for rotation therewith,

each of said arms being rotatable with respect to its associated rod and being resiliently biased against rotation by its associated spring,

and stop means on said sleeves cooperable with said pedestal for limiting the rotational movement of said arms.

9. The chair assembly of claim 8 including upper and lower bushings received yby each sleeve above and below the spring, each of said `bushings being provided with a circular bore therethrough, each of said rods being generally cylindrical and being received rotatably and relatively snugly by a pair of upper and lower bushings.

10. The chair assembly of claim 8 in which said pedestal includes a generally channel-shaped portion providing a pair of relatively flat side surfaces, said flanges being formed integrally with a connecting portion to provide an arm-supporting bracket, said bracket being received Iby a recess in said channel and secured therein, said stop means including a pair of circ'umferentially spaced generally radially outwardly extending studs on each of said sleeves, one of the studs of each sleeve being engageable with said bracket connecting portion and the other stud of each sleeve being engageable with one of the ilat pedestal surfaces.

11. The chair assembly of claim 10 in which said bracket connecting portion is provided with a generally vertically extending recess having a pair of inclined sides, each of the sides of the recess extending generally radially with respect to one of said sleeves whereby substantial planar engagement is permitted between said bracket-engaging studs and said inclined sides.

12. In a chair assembly for rotatably supporting a chair:

a chair,

an elongated generally cylindrical post secured to said chair and extending downwardly therefrom, said post being provided with a longitudinally extending slot,

a tubular sleeve rotatably receiving said post, said sleeve being provided with vertically extending upper and lower slots therein,

a generally cylindrical coil spring interposed between said sleeve and said post and having upper and lower spring ends,

a iirst pair of generally annularly shaped upper and lower disks received by said post,

the upper disk of said first pair being positioned above said spring and including a radially inwardly extending key received by said post slot and the lower disk of said iirst pair being positioned below said spring and including a radially outwardly extending key received -by said lower slot of said sleeve,

each of the disks of said rst pair being provided with a circumferentially extending recess in the outer periphery thereof, each of said recesses terminating in a generally radially outwardly extending shoulder providing a cam surface,

the car surface of the upper disk of the first pair engaging the upper end of said spring when said chair is rotated in one direction and the cam surface of the lower disk of the iirst pair engaging the lower end of said spring whereby the upper portion of said spring is rotated with respect to the lower portion of said spring to resiliently bias said chair against rotation in said one direction,

a second pair of generally annularly shaped upper and lower disks received by said post,

the upper disk of said second pair being positioned above said spring and including a radially outwardly extending key received by the upper slot of said sleeve and the lower disk of said second pair being positioned below said spring and including a radially inwardly extending key received by said post slot,

each of the disks of said second pair being provided with a circumferentially extending recess in the outer periphery thereof, each of said recesses terminating in a generally radially outwardly extending shoulder providing a cam surface,

the cam surface of the lower disk of said second pair engaging the lower end of said spring when said chair is rotated in the other direction and the cam surface of the upper disk of said second pair engaging the upper end of said spring whereby the lower portion of said spring is rotated with respect to the upper portion of said spring to resiliently bias said chair against rotation in said other direction.

13. The structure of claim 12 including a pair of upper and lower bearings, said upper bearing being received by the upper end of said sleeve above said upper disks, said lower bearing being received by the lower end of said sleeve below said lower disks, each of said bearings being provided with a central bore therethrough, said post being rotatably and relatively snugly received by said bearings, said bearings being sized to prevent substantial vertical movement of said disks and said spring relative to said sleeve.

14. The structure of claim 12 in which the recesses of at least two of said disks terminate in a second generally radially outwardly extending shoulder, one of said second ishoulders being engageable with a spring end after limited rotation of said chair in said one direction to prevent further rotation in said one direction, the other of said second shoulders being engageable with a spring end after limited rotation of said chair in the other direction to prevent further rotation in said other direction.

15. The structure of claim 12 in which said tubular sleeve includes an upwardly extending swivel stop, said post including a pair of generally radially outwardly extending stop projections, one of said stop projections being engageable with said swivel stop after limited rotational movement of said chair in one direction and the other of said stop projections being engageable with said swivel stop after limited rotational movement of said chair in the other direction.

16. The structure of claim 1S including a swivel cup received by said post, said swivel cup being generally cylindrical in horizontal cross-section and said stop projections extending from said swivel cup. said swivel stop being generally arcuately shaped and extending from said sleeve radially outwardly of said swivel cup.

17. A chair assembly including:

an elongated generally upwardly extending pedestal,

an arm-supporting bracket secured to said pedestal, said bracket including vertically spaced upper and lower flanges, each of said flanges being provided with a pair of openings, each of the openings in the upper flange being generally vertically aligned with an opening in the lower flange, a connecting portion extending between said anges and spaced from said pedestal,

a pair of elongated generally horizontally extending chair-supporting arms, one end of each arm terminating in a generally vertically extending sleeve, the sleeve of each arm being positioned between said upper and lower flanges and including a stop projection,

an elongated rod received by each sleeve and extending through upper and lower vertically aligned openings in said anges each of said arms being rotatable with respect to said pedestal, the stop projection of each sleeve being engageable with said connecting portion to limit rotational movement of the associated arm.

18. The chair assembly of claim 17 in which said bracket includes a second connecting portion extending between said anges and spaced from said rst connecting portion, said stop projections also being engageable with said second connecting portion to limit rotational movement of said arms.

19. The chair assembly of claim 17 in which each of said connecting portions is provided with a generally V-shaped slot having inclined sides, the stop projection of each of said arms being positioned between an inclined side of each of said connecting portions and engageable therewith for limiting rotational movement of the arm,

said rst connecting portion extending from adjacent the sleeve of one of said arms to adjacent the sleeve of the other of said arms, whereby said stop projections are substantially enclosed within said bracket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Colby 297-142 Girard 297-141 Hensen 297-142 X Girard 297-141 Majcher 297-141 Sheldon 297-142 Sheldon 297-142 Ketive 297-142 Allen 297-142 Black et al. 297-142 U.S. Cl. X.R. 

